By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — The number of new cases of COVID-19 has been slowly declining in Cape May County, according to the Department of Health, which also reports 11,391 doses of the vaccine had been administered as of Monday, Feb. 1.
The doses include those administered at the county site and other entities, such as Cape Regional Medical Center, urgent cares and pharmacies.
To get information on how, where and when to get a vaccine, and who is eligible, the department advises going online to capemaycountynj.gov.
The department also noted the rate of transmission of the virus is now at 0.94, meaning less than one new person is infected for everyone contracting the virus.
The county is closing in on 6,000 cases since the pandemic began, still among the lowest in the state.
Warren and Salem counties are also among the lowest while northern New Jersey counties closest to New York City are among the highest.
The number of active cases in the municipalities dropped below 500 Monday to 455.
Lower Township reported the most active cases with 95, followed by Upper Township with 77, Middle Township with 73 and Ocean City with 65. Middle Township reported 11 new cases Monday, Upper Township had nine, Lower Township had eight and Ocean City had six.
Other active cases as of Monday included Wildwood (38), Dennis Township (25), Wildwood Crest (22), North Wildwood (17), Woodbine (10), Sea Isle City and Cape May (8 each), West Cape May (7), Avalon (5), Stone Harbor (4) and West Wildwood (1).
There have been 72 fatalities in the communities since the pandemic began, including 18 in Lower Township, 15 in Middle Township, seven in Ocean City, six in Upper Township, five each in Wildwood and Woodbine, four in Dennis Township, three each in Cape May, North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest, and one in West Cape May.
There have been no fatalities in Avalon, Cape May Point, Stone Harbor and West Wildwood.
As of Monday, there were 16 active cases in long-term care, including six each in Woodbine and Middle Township and four in Ocean City.
There have been 91 deaths in long-term care facilities, including 33 in Lower Township, 19 in Dennis Township, 15 in Middle Township, 13 in Ocean City and 11 in Woodbine.
Deaths over the past week include an 80-year-old woman from Lower Township reported Saturday, and a 78-year-old man and a 93-year-old woman from Middle Township on Jan. 25. On a daily basis, there were 30 new cases reported in the communities on Jan. 25, 57 on Jan. 26, 58 on Jan. 27, 46 on Jan. 28, 37 on Jan. 29, 28 on Saturday, Jan. 30 — when overall active cases dipped below 500 to 474 — and 33 on Sunday, Jan. 31.
On Monday, Feb. 1, 40 new cases were reported.